Today it rained, not enough to cover the pavement, about a drip every inch or two but it all felt a bit fresher and all the big boats stayed alongside but hordes of smaller ones were making the most of a flat calm sea.
At first coffee. The bar over the road to my left was filled with about 15 or more tracksuited persons, very skinny and all taking espresso or juices and sitting close to one another. It was cool but hardly a need for survival mode. Anyway, off I went to squeeze a load of naranjas and upon my return they were all lycra clad, with push bikes that looked worth more than all the cars that'll pass this way today. A couple of parked up black vans and a bloke talking to them as some were collecting bottles from the van furthest away and putting them in their cages when along came a BMW R1200GS with piloto and pillion in matching black motorbiking gear, full panniers and top box with a couple of aerials that would please a mod scooterist. It paused, the push bikers got on their bikes and off they all went, single file along the seafront. They did look serious bikes, no manufacturers logos just all matt black, smart and silent. And effortlessly quick. Later in town we noted a similar gathering in one of the cafes but this time all youngsters in matching lycra with a variety of rather expensive looking bikes.
Sport is very big here. Bigger than a big thing. You can buy breville sandwich toasters in your teams colours, in fact you can have anything in your teams colours. Not just football, either. The telly is full of water polo, syncronised swimming, handball, basketball, hopping, skipping, jumping and tennis. And Rally Dakar 2014, but then, Marc Comas is leading the bikes by 40' Carlos Sainz is 6th 42'
behing the Minis. Yup, Works Monster Minis are the class of the field though a less Mini looking Mini would be hard to imagine. They look like someone's plonked a Mini shell on a lorry chassis, even stowing spare wheels under the floorpan and the roof being way higher than either driver or co-driver is tall. But it's on telly. Yes, A, I did start a sentence with "but". I've never seen Dakar live but it really has lost none of it's extremeness. I just wish the commentators would mention anyone not Spanish. Even the classification lists for stage, overall and retirements only list Spanish competitors.
However, the most amusing example of extreme sports took place right opposite the balcony a few moments ago. A kid on an electric motorbike with stabilisers. A HRC Repsol race replica, seriously. It made me smile but when the kid went around in circles or imaginary curves he leaned. He actually leaned off the bike and stuck out his knee and elbow. I called the child expert who laughed and estimated him to be about 18 months or so. Indeed he got off the bike when a horse trotted along and he couldn't walk properly. His dad picked him up and they went off to examine the horse. Once the horse had left his mark he was gone and the lad placed on the ground whereupon he struggled back on the bike and tore off after his dad on roller blades and whilst doing so he tucked himself down on the tank. At 18 months he has all the moves. No.93 was winning races at 8 and he's now MotoGP World Champion and still only 20, I think. This kid could be competeing with him before Marques is Rossi's age!
Everywhere you look there's sport. Even the droves of anglers are very serious. Their gear isn't a bamboo pole with whipped eyes, it's carbon. They drive stakes in wherever they can and prop their rods up. Rods. Always a pair, sometimes more and I've seen fish landed more than once. Some places are forbidden for them to fish from but most anywhere else there's a bloke sitting on a box, fag and
smartphone taking almost all of his attention until a rod tip moves.
It's all blokes, though. Ladies ride bikes, roller blade in gangs and walk their dogs. I'll blog about the dogs one day, but not on a nice day like this. Hardly anyone been along the seafront since last Monday and now it's alive and there's a liveliness pulsating around here again. A very relaxed babble, people stopping to yarn, and an elderly little chap parked up, walked to the water tap and washed his car. He's still there, yarning to anyone who's passing with time on their hands which is just about everyone. Note: he was still there much later on until someone came a long and jump started him. I guess he may have been stuck but if you're going to break down here's a nice place to do it.
The only things missing are the kite surfers and windsurfers but there's not a breath of wind.
There isn't any sun either but then we have been a bit spoiled in that department..
Lunchtime saw a photo shoot outside the apartment. Seemed a lot of faff for a few photos of a smart, professional looking middle aged lady with the ubiquitous vivid red lipstick and two blokes who wittered a lot to each other, viewed the subject through the screen of a Canon 650 or something Canon very like it and pressed the shutter a few times. Quite why they needed to press a monopod into use defeats me but at least she drove a newish Discovery. Much more faffing about and we realise that it's all about video, they were setting up to make a headshot video.
However, there was a main event this afternoon. We had to keep a very close watch on the passing persons as there was a raher delicate matter that needed delicate handling in an inconspicuous way so as to ensure that no attention was drawn to "them".
The lady of the house was in full "this needs doing I shall do it" mode this morning. The washing machine took only a little longer than Dakar week 1 review was on for but once done the contents of the washing machine need hanging out over the balcony washing lines. Now, some of us would just hang it and that would be that. Alas, no! Never! You can't have "those" on view to everyone, they must be behind the towels and shirts. Unfortunately, a pair of "them" lost their support and fell onto the washing lines on the balcony below. Whilst not exactly panic there was a degree of commotion and consternation.
No easy solution came immediately to mind and besides a trip to town was essential, (I did buy the eggs we haven't got now so I trust that whoever had them will put them to good use) and could be put off no longer. Especially as today was Sabado and at a management meeting I was asked if I'd like a Telegraph on Saturday. Good idea, I thought but they won't be around long so haste was needed. As it was we started out a bit late but there was one left. Anyway, back to "them" hanging above the passers by on this most picturesque of picturesque sea fronts. I have the photo but not the nerve.
Eventually, about 1430 when all goes quiet and the passers by had thinned out to a trickle a mop in hand I ventured out as nonchalantly as I could and found that the mop and me were about a foot or so too short. Jumping then. Inconspicuous as I tried to be, a fat bloke jumping up and down trying to dislodge a pair of "them" from a balcony that isn't anything to do with us did draw a little attention to
the sea front diners, of which there were many.
Once dislodged the pair of "them" fell to a dusty sidewalk, I took a bow and the diners went back to dining. In UK I'd have expected at least a ripple of applause as well as a few laughs but not here. Dining is also very serious. Indeed, I was meant to make some very serious omelettes for lunch but bocadillo's were once again the order of the day.
So much fuss over something so little. Now if they had been mine ......
This afternoon a stroll in the rain as I've not known it in 50 years. The rain was very soft and gentle and disappeared from the pavement almost as soon as it got there, it was very refreshing as we didn't get wet but as soon as it stopped it got hot, 15C, I think.
Tonight, joy of joys, for the first time since our arrival the escalators are up to 100% and more eggs have been procured even though Sabbado evening is very, very quiet with little open. However, tonights walk was past the chocolate shop. This is a serious chocolate shop and Sabbado evening was not the best time to enter as it was chocco .... so we bought a bar of Whole Almond 60% pure and most of it is disappearing, along with the rather nice red, even as I look.
One day, soon, we'll return for a bowl of their dipping chocolate with churros .................
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